Perils of the princess 2.0: an (auto)ethnographic study of girls playing Super Mario Bros. 2

ABSTRACT

This article uses elements of both ethnography and autoethnography to evaluate the role of Princess Toadstool (aka Princess Peach) in the 1988 game, Super Mario Bros. 2. The analysis is primarily qualitative and uses an anonymous online survey. It answers the question of how Princess Toadstool’s presence in the game affected American female players in the 1980s and 1990s when the overarching American message was that “thin,” “white,” and “pretty” are best. The author examines the history of the game, 1980s and 1990s American “princess” culture, and game accessibility for American girls in the 1980s and 1990s. Character choices in game play are then assessed with the aforementioned information in mind. The author concludes that Princess Toadstool’s inclusion as a female option may have been an important first step toward inclusion of female heroes, but Nintendo’s continued use of female stereotypes and beauty standards undermines her move from the damsel in distress to a playable hero.

KEYWORDS:

• Girl gamer
• video game
• Princess Peach
• Princess Toadstool
• digital

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Technological limitations of the NES caused Princess Toadstool to appear with brown (sometimes reddish-brown) hair rather than blonde; In the 1991 SNES game, Super Mario World, she is portrayed with her more familiar blonde hair (Rose Graceling-Moore 2017).

2. As of the editing phase for this article, a new Super Mario Bros. movie has recently released starring Princess Peach (aka Princess Toadstool) as the co-hero (alongside Mario) out to rescue Luigi. Additionally, Super Mario Bros. Wonder more recently released with Princess Peach as a playable character.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kristina Stokes

Kristi Stokes has an MA in American Studies and is currently a PhD candidate at Penn State University in Harrisburg. Her current research interests include literature/children’s literature, popular culture, fat studies, feminism, and video game studies. Email: [email protected]